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Oil majors apply for first CO2

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On Friday, oil majors Equinor, Shell and Total, submitted an application for an exploitation permit for a subsea reservoir for injection and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), under the 'Northern Lights' project . This was the very first time the authorities have announced a licensing round for injection and storage of CO2.

The partners in the Northern Lights project were the only applicant when the deadline expired on Friday. Awards are expected during the fourth quarter of 2018.

"Equinor and partners Shell and Total are very satisfied to have the opportunity to apply for an exploitation permit for a future CO2 storage facility. We look forward to the further dialogue with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate about this project through the autumn,"…says Per Gunnar Stavland, Authority Relations, Northern Lights.

The authorities announced the relevant area on 5 July. State Secretary, Ingvil Smines Tybring-Gjedde, said then that the announcement was a concrete follow-up of the Government’s ambitions for full-scale CO2 capture and storage in Norway, and an important element of the work on the storage part.

The ambition is to achieve a cost-effective solution for full-scale CO2 capture and storage in Norway, given that this results in technology development in an international perspective.

"In a similar manner as with the award of production licences, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will evaluate the geotechnical work and provide advice to the Ministry prior to an award",…says Wenche Tjelta Johansen, assistant director in exploration in the NPD.

Source:seawanderer

BPA: Coastal shipping could

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The British Ports Association (BPA) published a report authored by Setfords Solicitors on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and the challenges and opportunities for UK ports.

Published at the beginning of ‘Maritime UK Week’, the report describes the opportunities for UK ports in preparing for new MASS. Initially MASS are most likely to be used for short sea and coastal traffic. This could be within UK and Irish domestic, territorial and inland waters for potentially UK-flagged and registered merchant ships/cargo ships. The primary reason for this is that it will probably take some while for the IMO’s regulatory review to be completed, and the regulatory framework of a single nation will move more quickly.

In addition, coastal shipping could be one of the first parts of the UK maritime sector to embrace autonomous shipping and the BPA is encouraging ports to consider the implications on their operations.

The report also makes a number of recommendations for ports interested in leading in this fast-emerging area, including smaller ports who could gain early from autonomous or semi-autonomous coastal shipping and feeder traffic. There are also recommendations for the UK Government in reviewing UK legislation and regulations to make sure they are up to date and can accommodate new technological opportunities.

However, there will be some challenges. Some of them will be in the areas of operations and management, safety, security, cyber security and breakdowns in communication systems.

There will also be changes to quays for berthing, nevertheless this could increase jobs at ports, as it requires high levels of technical skill by shore based operators and back up service providers. The same set of skills will be needed for re-assessment of costs and payment for this new market, which may have an impact on harbour dues and other commercial agreements.

The report also makes some recommendations for harbour authorities, including reviewing harbour byelaws to check they could accommodate MASS.

Source:seawanderer.net

DNV GL forecasts gas capital

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DNV GL’s 2018 Energy Transition Outlook, an independent forecast of the world energy mix in the lead-up to 2050, predicts global upstream gas capital expenditure to grow from USD960 billion (bn) in 2015, to a peak of USD1.13 trillion in 2025. Upstream gas operating expenditure is set to rise from USD448 bn in 2015 to USD582 bn in 2035, when operational spending will be at its highest.

While DNV GL’s model predicts global oil demand to peak in 2023, demand for gas will continue to rise until 2034. New resources will be required long after these dates to continue replacing depleting reserves.

“The energy transition will be made up of many sub-transitions. Our Outlook affirms that the switch in demand from oil to gas has already begun. Significant levels of investment will be needed in the coming decades to support the transition to the least carbon-intensive of the fossil fuels,” said Liv A. Hovem, CEO, DNV GL – Oil & Gas.

“Gas will fuel the energy transition in the lead-up to mid-century. It sets a pathway for the increasing uptake of renewable energy, while safeguarding the secure supply of affordable energy that the world will need during the energy transition,” Hovem added.

Rising global demand for gas will impact activity across the oil and gas value chain, according to DNV GL’s Outlook. Conventional onshore and offshore gas production is forecast to decline from about 2030, while unconventional onshore gas is expected to rise to a peak in 2040. DNV GL expects this trend to lead to leaner, more agile gas developments with shorter lifespans.

North East Eurasia (including Russia) and the Middle East and North Africa will account for most onshore conventional gas production in the lead-up to 2050, while North America will continue to dominate unconventional gas production. In the offshore sector, the Middle East and North Africa will see the highest annual rate of new gas production capacity from now until at least 2050.

Liquefied natural gas capacity will increase as production rises. DNV GL expects it to double by the late 2040s, as the midstream sector connects shifting sources of gas with changing demand centres. Seaborne gas trade is forecast to treble from North America to China by 2050. An increase in trade from Sub-Saharan Africa to the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia is also expected. DNV GL forecasts further transition for the sector in the lead-up to 2050, as greener gases — including biogas, syngas and hydrogen — enter transmission and distribution systems.

“Our forecast points to a faster, leaner and cleaner oil and gas industry in the future. It’s time for our sector to enhance focus on developing the digital technologies that will enable quicker and more agile exploration and production, and the smooth integration of less carbon-intensive gases into the energy system,” Hovem said.

DNV GL’s suite of 2018 Energy Transition Outlook reports are available to download free of charge. The main ETO report covers the transition of the entire energy mix to 2050. It is accompanied by three supplements forecasting implications for the oil and gas, power supply, and maritime industries.

Source: seawanderer.net

GTT receives an order from HHI

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GTT has received an order from the Korean Shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) concerning the tank design of four new LNG carriers which will be built on behalf of the Greek ship-owner Capital Gas Carriers.

GTT’s Mark III Flex technology has been selected to equip the LNG tanks of these four 174,000 m3 ships. The delivery of these vessels is scheduled between the end of 2020 and mid-2021.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT declared: “We are pleased with the long-term partnership of excellence developed with HHI. This new order represents a major project to which we are proud to contribute. We are also very pleased to accompany Capital Gas Carriers for its entry in the LNG world.”

Source:seawanderer

China Launches Icebreaker Xuelong 2

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China launched Xuelong 2, the nation's first locally-built icebreaker, on Monday.

A ceremony was held at Jiangnan Shipyard for the polar research vessel, which is expected to enter service next year.

In 2012, the Polar Research Institute of China awarded the contract for the concept and basic design of the vessel to Aker Arctic. Construction of the 122.5-meter, 13,990 ton vessel began in December 2016. 

The Polar Class 3 vessel will have a range of around 20,000 nautical miles and is designed to break 1.5-meter-thick ice at speeds of two to three knots in both ahead and astern directions. She can operate in temperatures down to -30oC, has a maximum speed of 15 knots and can accommodate 90 crew and researchers.

The hull form was designed with good seakeeping characteristics and low open water resistance. A special box keel provides a disturbance-free flow environment for bottom-mounted scientific instruments in both open water and ice. The diesel-electric power plant and propulsion system, which consists of four main generating sets, two 7.5 MW azimuth propulsion units and two transverse bow thrusters, provides the vessel with redundant DP2 class station keeping capability.

The scientific outfit includes both wet and dry laboratories, a large aft working deck served by several cranes and winches, and a moon pool with scientific hangar that allows for the deployment of scientific instruments in ice-covered seas. The large forward cargo hold, heavy crane and cargo fuel tanks allow the vessel to carry out resupply missions to scientific research stations. The aviation facilities include a landing platform and a hangar for two helicopters.

Xuelong 2 is larger than the 15,300-ton Ukraine-built icebreaker Xuelong which is currently in service. Another icebreaker is already slated – this one capable of breaking three-meter ice and sailing in temperatures down to -45oC.

To date, China has conducted 34 Antarctic expeditions and eight Arctic expeditions.

 

Source:seawanderer.net

Djibouti Government Nationalizes Port Company

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The Republic of Djibouti has nationalized the company that owns a majority stake in the Port de Djibouti SA (PDSA). This latest move in its clash with DP World follows an order from the President issued on September 9 which calls for the immediate nationalization of all the shares and social rights of PDSA in the Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT) joint venture with DP World. 

This government says that the decision aims to protect the fundamental interests of the nation of Djibouti and the legitimate interests of its partners and to ensure that the situation of the DCT joint venture company aligns with reality, as it has not been in charge of the container terminal of Doraleh since the termination of the concession contract in February 2018.

DP World will therefore have the State of Djibouti as a single interlocutor for all the discussions regarding the consequences of the concession contract termination.

Djibouti terminated the DCT contract due to what it calls “severe irregularities,” and says the contract was prejudicial to the fundamental interests of the Republic of Djibouti, to the development of the country and to its ability to control its most strategic infrastructure asset.

“DP World's "strategy", which consists in trying to oppose the will of a sovereign state, is both unrealistic and destined to fail. In any case, the proliferation of legal procedures, the 'fake news' campaigns and the intimidation attempts against Djibouti will have no effect on the case. That is why a fair compensation outcome is the only possible option for DP World, in line with the principles of international law.”

The move follows a decision earlier this month by the High Court of England & Wales which granted an injunction restraining PDSA from treating its joint venture shareholders’ agreement with DP World as terminated. 

The High Court has further prohibited PDSA from removing directors of the DCT joint venture company who were appointed by DP World. PDSA is not to interfere with the management of DCT until further orders of the Court or the resolution of the dispute by a London-seated arbitration tribunal.

On February 22, the Djibouti government seized control of the DCT from DP World, which had been awarded the concession in 2006. The move came after the government had attempted to force DP World to renegotiate the terms of the port concession. The port has three berths and an annual capacity of 1.2 million TEUs.

This is the third legal ruling in relation to the DCT following two previous decisions from the London Court of International Arbitration, all of them in favor of DP World. 

Source:seawanderer.net

ROCK-DUMPING VESSELS

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Rock dumping vessels (Fall Pipe Vessel) are a category of watercraft that exist for the purpose of dumping rocks on the seabed. They are able to transport and dump rocks of variable sizes. The vessels range from large bulk-carrier style vessels, able to carry out precision operations using fallpipes, to smaller deck-loading vessels mainly used for erosion remediation.

Almost all such vessels are fitted with a dynamic positioning system, which makes it possible to position rocks very accurately. Large cranes or fall pipes are used to dump the rocks from the vessels. Side-discharging by means of crane is usually done in shallow waters, while fall pipes are more commonly used in deep-water rock-dumping operations.

The most common need for rock dumpers is to provide protection to previously laid pipelines in areas where they may be damaged by fishing gear. Pipelines at risk are not trenched, but remain on the seabed. There are a number of protection methods for such pipelines, including the placement of concrete mattresses, but for areas where a long distance of pipeline has to be protected, a rock-dumping operation may be most cost efficient.

Fall pipe vessels (FPV) are equipped for rock installation at great water depths. The fall pipe end is positioned by a powerful remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and allows for accurate rock installation on the seabed.

This equipment is most frequently applied to support the offshore oil and gas industry. The precision with which the rock is placed increases the safety of offshore pipelines from scouring and also anchors of other ships passing by.

Fall pipe vessels have been developed specifically for rock installation. Depending on the ship, a fall pipe may be able to install rocks with a size up to 400 mm in water depths ranging from 50 to 2200 metres.

To keep up with the pace of oil and gas field developments in deeper waters the dredging industry created an entirely new tool: A fall pipe, which could guide the rocks from the water surface underwater to much greater depths.

The video below shows typical rock dumping offshore operations.

At the end of the 1970s a steel, telescopic fall pipe was developed for rock installation at water depths significantly exceeding 50 metres. The large diameter steel fall pipes are, however, sensitive to drag and gravity forces.

In the mid-1980s an improved technique was developed based on a semi-open, flexible fall pipe consisting of a string of bottomless, heavy plastic buckets along two chains. At the lower end of the string a remotely operated, propelled vehicle (ROV) was attached. The ROV was equipped with a range of sophisticated technologies such as a camera and survey and positioning equipment. This flexible fall pipe design, with the ROV, installed on a dynamically positioned vessel, was able to achieve more accurate placement of rock by correcting the off-setting caused by currents. The drag forces were lower and therefore the system was less sensitive to rupture. This guaranteed a higher workability as the semi-open and flexible string of buckets is able to adjust its shape to the currents.

In the early 1990s DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) was introduced in the offshore oil and gas and marine construction worlds: Differential drift of the rock-laying fall pipe vessel with respect to the subsea pipeline or cable could be achieved by dynamic positioning.

The success of this technique has proven invaluable as the dredging industry has become more and more involved with the offshore energy industry, working at ever greater depths.

DREDGING TECHNOLOGY AND DREDGERS

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Dredging is a displacement of soil, carried out under water. It serves several different purposes. One of the applications meets the need to maintain minimum depths in canals and harbours by removing mud, sludge, gravel and rocks. Maintenance dredging is now only a basic task, while other fields are growing in demand much faster: creating new land for port and industrial development; trenching, backfilling and protection work for offshore pipelines, coastal outfall pipelines and for cables laid on the sea bed; environmental dredging and clean-up of contaminated sediments; replenishment of beaches and coastlines, not only for coastal protection, but also for recreational uses.

There are two methods of dredging: mechanical excavating and hydraulic excavating. Mechanical excavating is applied to cohesive soils. The dredged material is excavated and removed using mechanical means such as grabs, buckets, cutter heads or scoops. Hydraulic excavating is done with special water jests in cohesionless soils such as silt, sand and gravel. The dredged material which has been loosened from the sea-bed is sucked up and transported further as a mixture (solid material and water) using centrifugal pumps.

Mechanical dredgers

Backhoe dredger – A backhoe dredger is based on the giant land-based backhoe excavator that is mounted at one end of a spud-rigged pontoon. Its main advantage is its ability to dredge a wide range of materials, including debris and soft, weathered or fractured rocks.

Bucket chain dredger – Bucket chain dredge or bucket ladder dredge is a stationary dredger equipped with an endless chain of buckets carried by the ladder. The buckets are attached to a chain and graded according to size (200 to 1000 litres). Bucket dredgers are held in place by anchors. These days, this classic vessel is mainly used on environmental dredging projects.

The bucket chain dredger uses a continuous chain of buckets to scoop material from the bottom and raise it above water. The buckets are inverted as they pass over the top tumbler, causing their contents to be discharged by gravity onto chutes which convey the spoil into barges alongside. Positioning and movements are achieved by means of winches and anchors.

Cutter suction dredger – The cutter suction dredger is a stationary dredger equipped with a cutter head, which excavates the soil before it is sucked up by the flow of the dredge pump. During operation the cutter suction dredger moves around a spud pole by pulling and slacking on the two fore sideline wires. These dredgers are often used to dredge trenches for pipe lines and approach channels in hard soil. Seagoing cutter suction dredgers have their own propulsion. See also Cutter suction dredger d’ARTAGNAN.

Grab dredger – A grab dredger employs a grab mounted on cranes or crane beams. Dredged material is loaded into barges that operate independently. Grabs can manage both sludge and hard objects (blocks of stone, wrecks) and this makes them suitable for clearing up waters that are difficult to access (canals in cities), or for gravel winning and maintenance dredging on uneven beds.

Suction dredgers

Plain suction dredger – A plain suction dredger is a stationary dredger positioned on wires with at least one dredge pump connected to the suction pipe situated in a well in front of a pontoon. The dredged soil is discharged either by pipeline or by barges.

Trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) – The trailing suction hopper dredger is nonstationary dredger, which means that it is not anchored by wires or spud but it is dynamically positioned; the dredger uses its propulsion equipment to proceed over the track. It is a shipshaped vessel with hopper type cargo holds to store the slurry. At each side of the ship is a suction arm, which consists of a lower and a higher part, connected through cardanic joints. Trailing suction hopper dredgers are used for maintenance work (removal of deposits in approach channels) and dredging of trenches in softer soils.

TSHD has several special features, the main one being a drag arm which works as vacuum cleaner. Drag arm consists of a suction bend, lower and upper suction pipes connected via double cardan hinge and a draghead.

The suction bend is mounted in a trunnion which forms part of the sliding piece; as the pipe goes outboard the sliding piece enters the guide on the hull and is lowered until the bend is in line with the suction inlet below the waterline.

The suction pipe can be equipped with an integral submerged dredge pump. Submerged dredge pumps have become more and more popular with operators of larger trailing suction hopper dredges. Locating the dredge pump in the suction pipe positions is much closer to the seabed than a conventional dredge pump housed in the hull.

The drag arm is hoisted outboard and lowered to dredging depth with the aid of gantries. When not in use, it is lifted above the main deck level and pulled inboard with the hydraulically powered gantries for storage.

Discharge operations, discharge installations

When the vessel has to be discharged, jet pumps are used in the hopper to dilute the spoil so that it can be pumped ashore or discharged o the seabed through bottom doors. Occasionally, accurate placement of the material at great depths is possible via the suction pipes.

Fixed means of transporting dredged soil requires a floating pipeline from ship to shore, a powerful pump and a special link between pipeline and vessel – the bow coupling. Fixed and flexible models are in use. Fixed bow coupling has one degree of freedom (pitch), the flexible one has two degrees of freedom (pitch and turn). The flexible bow coupling can handle difficult sea conditions and reduces loads on the floating pipeline.

The mixture can also be jetted forward over the ship bow via a mixture jetting nozzle (rainbowing).

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